New York’s gubernatorial battle headed far south yesterday as Gov. Pataki and Andrew Cuomo held near-overlapping events in the Dominican Republic.

Pataki, on a politically charged, state-funded three-day swing through the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, arrived Monday night for dinner with President Hipolito Mejia at his art deco presidential palace.

He then spent the morning with Dominican officials and family members of victims of the Sept. 11 World Trade Center attack and the Nov. 12 crash of Flight 587.

Pataki was to arrive in Puerto Rico last night.

The trip by former federal Housing and Urban Development Secretary Cuomo, by contrast, was unexpected – and it was only announced by his campaign staff after his morning flight had arrived.

Cuomo, who said he visited the Dominican Republican as federal housing secretary in the wake of destructive Hurricane Georges, held his own meeting and press conference with President Mejia.

“To the families of Flight 587, my message is simple: all of New York stands beside you in these difficult and grief-filled times,” Cuomo said in a statement.

Pataki, who has yet to announce his expected run for a third term, told about three dozen relatives of crash victims in a cramped hotel conference room that all New Yorkers shared their loss.

Pataki, with military police holding back traffic, also trooped through the poor area of Cristo Rey, where he chatted with local leaders.

“I want to tell everyone that there is no truth to the rumor that there is a secret purpose behind this trip,” quipped Pataki.